


All's Right in the World

by Evil_Little_Dog



Series: Little Things [166]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Community: fandom_stocking, Gen, Healing, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-30
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 15:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3255698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: Alphonse wishes he was healing better.<br/>Disclaimer: Not mine, in any way shape or form.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All's Right in the World

Alphonse hated that he still needed a crutch to walk. The doctors had said it was a possibility his legs would never heal properly, that he’d always need a crutch. Alphonse wondered if Mei’s alkahestry might help with that, but he didn’t know; wouldn’t know, unless he journeyed to Xing to find out. And while that was in his plans, that would be in the future, and not any time soon. 

After all, Brother and he had made a promise, and they were going to stick to it. Winry deserved it, after everything they’d put her through over the years, and Risembool was, despite everything, their home. And Alphonse could see they needed this time and place to recuperate and recover from everything that had happened since they’d burned down their house. Risembool was quiet, slow, gentle. The citizens knew them, and their curiosity wasn’t prying, even though Alphonse had been seen only as a suit of armor for a while, and now was a person again. They were happy to have their boys back in the flock, and Alphonse appreciated it. 

He was disappointed some things had worked out the way they did. It would’ve been good if Dad hadn’t died. That Edward hadn’t given up his alchemy. That Nina hadn’t died. It didn’t change anything, just left him with regrets. Too many, maybe, if the concerned glances his family gave him were any indication. 

“All right, Al.” Winry thumped him on the head with her knuckle, making him wince. “You’re thinking too hard.”

He rubbed his skull. “Ouch. Am not.” 

“Are too.” Winry stepped in front of him, offering her his hands. “Come with me.” 

“Huh?” 

She made a face at him. “Get up and come with me.” Winry grabbed his hands, tugging until Alphonse stood up. She took his arm to guide him. 

“Where are we going, Winry?” 

“Just wait and see.” Her bright grin was enough to banish the clouds in his head, and Alphonse let her lead him outside, into the summer sun. 

Den lay in the grass, surrounded by the family chickens. The red hens scratched at the dirt and plucked bits of grass to eat, making chuckling noises to themselves. Alphonse spotted Edward, climbing the low hill the house sat upon, something cradled in his arms. Edward grinned, spotting the two of them, and Winry squeezed Alphonse’s arm in response. 

As Edward drew nearer, Alphonse could make out something pale grey against his black t-shirt. Something squirming. Something that mewed. “Is that…?”

“A kitten,” Edward said, holding the tiny mite in his cupped hands. “One of the Culbertsons’ cats had a late litter. I picked this one because of its badass markings.” He offered the kitten to Alphonse, who accepted it. “I mean, look at that fur! It’s like smoke swirls.” 

The kitten wasn’t striped, Alphonse thought, so much as mottled, a silver grey and ash grey melded and mixed together. It had big green eyes, and soft paws like pussywillows, that reached up and patted at Alphonse’s chin. He smiled. “You’re beautiful, aren’t you?” 

Edward grinned at Alphonse’s reaction. “I figured it’d give you something else to think about.” 

Alphonse raised his eyes to meet his brother’s, then looked at Winry. She smiled, too, her head tilting to the side. “Yes. We all noticed.” Reaching over, she ran a gentle finger over the kitten’s head. It swiveled to bat at her finger, more aggressively than earlier. “Oh, you’re bad. Just like an Elric.” 

“Hey!” Edward snapped, showing his teeth. 

Laughing, Alphonse cradled his kitten against his chest. The sound of it purring rumbled through his chest, breaking through some tight bonds he didn’t even realize existed. Maybe he didn’t need two working legs. His brother made do with automail, didn’t he? And there were always people who were there to pick them both up, when they were down. 

With his brother and best friend bickering, and the kitten purring, Alphonse thought maybe, everything really could be right in their world again.


End file.
